Tony Hawk Awarded For Aiding 390 Skate Parks

There’s a certain level of apathy in today’s youth when it comes to giving back to the same community that initially gave them so much.  It’s definitely apparent when you can simply go outside and see how much involvement kids have in their neighborhoods.  What happened to the good ol’ days when little Billy Thompson would be on stand by next to the cross walk waiting for senior citizens who need assistance crossing the street?  Or how about Taylor Jenkins from down the street, who would bake cookies for his neighbors out of the goodness of his heart? 

While most skaters are too busy tightening their pants or listening to “Skater Boi” on their I-Pods, good Samaritans like Tony Hawk find it necessary to Pay It Forward.  As you all probably know, Tony Hawk heads the Tony Hawk Foundation geared towards making improvements in society and with an emphasis in helping children.  The Tony Hawk Foundation helped give away 2.3 million bones to 390 skate park projects in 2008.  And with that, the Stoked Awards will be presenting Tony with the Stoked Achievement Award. 

Read the press release below for more info and hopefully inspire you to do something great with your spare time.  Trust me, you probably won’t regret it.  Now excuse me while I go play Gears Of War.  I’m nearing the end and I’ve got glory to accomplish. 

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE – NY, New York, October 20, 2008 – Stoked Mentoring, the action sports non-profit organization, hosts its 2nd annual Stoked Awards presented by Toyota Matrix at Red Bull Space in New York
City on November 12th presenting the Stoked Achievement Award to Tony Hawk, who will be in attendance for the event. This spectacular evening celebrates the individuals who embody Stoked’s Mission to “Develop Successful Teens through Opportunity Knowledge Experience and Determination”. MCing the event is X-Games host and Stoked co-founder Sal Masekela, known as the “voice of action sports.”

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk says, “I’m happy and excited to be given the Stoked Achievement Award. The work of the Tony Hawk Foundation, as well as the opportunities that Stoked is giving kids through action sports to make them more successful, is something that we need more of.”

For this formal event many of Stoked’s long-standing supporters come together to honor individuals whose generosity and achievements have touched the lives of so many others. This year Tony Hawk was selected for his outstanding work with the Tony Hawk Foundation. With the creation of the Tony Hawk Foundation in 2002 Hawk has been helping others experience the same excitement he did as a young skateboarder, learning to skate and building the selfconfidence that resulted in his success. The foundation was designed to promote and help finance public skate parks in low-income areas and since inception has given away over 2.3 million dollars to 390 skate park projects throughout the United States.

“The pursuit of excellence and greatness, whether it be on a skateboard or school or life, is something that we’re looking to instill in our youth. We’re thrilled and honored that Tony will share his achievements and life lessons at the Stoked Awards on Nov 12th,” says Stoked Mentoring co-founder Steve Larosiliere.

The evening will have cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres, a silent auction, awards ceremony, and entertainment along with music by DJ Christopher Sealey. A very exciting and memorable evening is planned. The outreach and exposure created by the Stoked Awards continues to match inner-city youth with wonderful mentors creating positive relationships and learning valuable life skills through action sports.

This awards ceremony is attended by over 300 people throughout New York City & Los Angeles in the fields of action sports, media, entertainment, finance, fashion and technology. Honorary Co Chairs are actress Joy Bryant and top action sports film distribution company VAS’s President Michael Lythcott. The presenting sponsor is Toyota Matrix. Supporting Sponsors include DC Shoes and Berkela Films.

Video coverage and photos presented by official action sports media sponsor ZexSports.com will be live immediately after the event.

About Stoked Mentoring
www.stoked.org
Co-founded in 2005 by Steve Larosiliere and Sal Masekela, Stoked Mentoring is a unique nonprofit organization based in New York and Los Angeles that provides innovative mentoring programs exposing “at risk” youth and their mentors to action sports. These activities are used as a means to develop and foster resiliency, determination and success. Through hands-on partnerships with social service agencies, Stoked presents and oversees several programs annually including Snow Mentor, Skate Mentor and Surf Mentor.